Bandits kill 33 in Kebbi community as local resistance ends in a massive tragedy.
The news coming out of Bui District in the early hours of Friday is the kind of update that makes any right thinking person stop and sigh. We are talking about a situation where thirty three lives were snuffed out in a single encounter.
This Wednesday was indeed a black day for the people of Arewa Local Government Area of Kebbi State. As a professional editor who has seen the many faces of our national security challenges, I find this particular story deeply personal.
It is not just about the numbers; it is about the “ginger” of local residents who decided they would not just “fold their arms” and watch their livelihoods being carted away. They chose to stand and fight, but the cost of that bravery has turned out to be a massive tragedy that has left the entire state in mourning.
These were fathers and sons who refused to “carry last” in the face of aggression, only to pay the ultimate price.
The Lakurawa militants and the cross border raid from Sokoto State
The “real koko” of this invasion, according to the Kebbi State Police Command, points to a group known as the Lakurawa militants. These are not your everyday petty thieves; they are “bad eggs” who are known for their high level of organization and violence. The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bashir Usman, made it clear that these assailants likely crossed over from Gudu Local Government Area in Sokoto State.
Their primary mission was simple but wicked: to rustle cattle and terrorize the villagers. They stormed communities like Mamunu, Awasaka, Tungan Tsoho, and Makangara, thinking they would have an easy ride. However, when the residents of these seven villages mobilized to protect their animals and their land, the situation escalated into a full blown confrontation.
It was in this “clash of wills” that thirty three people were killed, showing just how ruthless these invaders have become in their search for easy wealth.
Security reinforcements and the danger of direct confrontation with armed groups.
In response to this “serious wahala,” the Police Command has moved “sharperly” to dominate the area. SP Bashir Usman confirmed that they have deployed additional personnel and military assets to ensure that normalcy returns to Bui District. But while the authorities are commiserating with the families, they have also dropped a very heavy warning.
They are advising residents not to take the law into their own hands or engage these “senior men” of crime directly. The logic is simple: these militants often carry superior firepower that “local tools” cannot match.
It is a very painful reality for a farmer who sees his cows being taken away, but the police are insisting that direct confrontation often leads to the kind of high casualty rate we saw this week. They are urging everyone to report suspicious movements through the proper channels instead of trying to be heroes in a “no win” situation.
Beyond the Bui District attack and the growing threat of extortion in Kebbi
We must look at the bigger picture because what happened in Arewa is part of a larger, more worrying trend across Kebbi State. Just recently, we heard the “long story” of how terrorists wrote a letter to the Utono community in Ngaski, demanding a whole N100 million before they would be allowed to enter the town to “preach.”
This mix of blatant extortion and violent raids shows that the security situation is reaching a boiling point. The “sapa” and economic hardship in the land are already enough for the common man to bear, so adding the fear of being killed in one’s own backyard is just too much.
As we look at the way forward, the government must move from being “reactive” to being “proactive.” We need intelligence that stops these militants before they even cross the border from Sokoto. The people of Kebbi deserve a life where they can go to their farms and sleep at night with both eyes closed, without the fear of an impending “visitation” from bandits.
Join Our Social Media Channels:
WhatsApp: NaijaEyes
Facebook: NaijaEyes
Twitter: NaijaEyes
Instagram: NaijaEyes
TikTok: NaijaEyes
